Rachael K Bowles is an abstract landscape artist based in Hillsboro, OR. She primarily works in oil painting and monotype printmaking. Born in Kailua, HI, on the island of Oahu in 1978, Rachael attended high school at the Academy of the Pacific, where she discovered darkroom photography, sparking a passion that provided a positive and creative outlet during her teenage years. In 1996, she earned the first annual Art Award for her photography. She graduated from Windward Community College in the University of Hawaii System in 2000 with an AA and studied fine arts. Her professors nominated her for the Artist Guild Award based on her outstanding work in photography, drawing, and painting. After relocating to Oregon in 2004, Rachael focused on family life but continued to prioritize her art practice. In 2019, she started taking art classes at the Oregon Society of Artists, which introduced her to monotype printmaking. This new technique, along with further studies in color theory and painting fundamentals, significantly influenced her artistic approach. Through these studies, Rachael arrived where she is today, leading her to create color-driven abstract landscapes that draw on the natural world to explore emotional depth. Rachael has exhibited her work at the Oregon Society of Artists, where she has won several honorable mention and people's choice awards, as a guest artist at Waterstone Gallery and Community PDX.
Instagram: @Blackrainbow1
Bio:
Growing up in Hawaii and now living in the Pacific Northwest, I draw endless inspiration from the natural environment in my creative process. I view the landscape as a vessel for self-expression, rather than a guide for what to paint. I use color and its qualities to amplify the drama of the real and intangible elements of the natural environment. I often use color to replace natural details, set the mood, and create contrasts between elements. I use hue contrast to add impact to a scene, electrifying the drama.
I rely on my feelings and the way elements interact and react. Line, color, and shape act as a language, finding their voice from whatever influences my mind. Painting en plein air allows me to experience the environment in all its raw energy. I am less interested in recording a place's reality and more in how it feels, delivering a unique perspective and interpretation of the world. My work varies from abstract to representational, guided by color as a means of emotional expression.